A light-emitting beaded necklace for ornamental decoration having a plurality of ornamental beads that each define opposed slots for receiving the beads on an elongate thread. At least one light source is enclosed within one of the beads. The elongate thread extends through the opposed slots of the beads in sequence and distal ends connect together to define a looped article of wearing apparel. The necklace has pendent with a circuit for generating an electrical signal for illuminating the light source to provide a lighted ornamental effect for the beaded necklace. A method of assembling a light-emitting beaded necklace is disclosed.
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13. A light-emitting beaded necklace for ornamental decoration, comprising:
a plurality of ornamental beads connected together; at least one light emitting diode enclosed within a respective one of the beads; means for generating an electrical signal for illuminating the light emitting diode in the one of the beads, whereby the light emitting diode, being caused to illuminate, provides a lighted ornamental effect for the beaded necklace.
10. A light-emitting beaded necklace for ornamental decoration, comprising:
a plurality of ornamental beads having light sources therein; means for generating an electrical signal for illuminating the light sources in the beads, a power supply for providing power for illuminating the light sources in the beads; and a container attached to the beads, whereby the light sources, being caused to illuminate, provide a lighted ornamental effect for the beaded necklace; and wherein the means for generating an electrical signal and the power supply are disposed within the container.
1. A light-emitting beaded necklace for ornamental decoration, comprising:
a plurality of ornamental beads on an elongate thread, including ornamental beads having light sources therein and ornamental beads not having light sources therein, wherein there is at least one ornamental bead not having a light source therein between at least one pair of adjacent ornamental beads having light sources therein, and the elongate thread defines a looped article of wearing apparel; means for generating an electrical signal for illuminating the light sources in the beads, whereby the light sources, being caused to illuminate, provide a lighted ornamental effect for the beaded necklace.
2. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
3. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
4. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
5. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
a source of electrical power; a pair of electrical conductive members connected between the source of electrical power and the light source.
6. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
7. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
wherein the means for activating activates the light sources in at least one sequential pattern of flashing on and off.
8. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
9. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
wherein the means for activating activates the light sources in at least one sequential pattern of flashing brighter and dimmer.
12. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
14. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
15. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
16. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
17. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
a source of electrical power; a pair of electrical conductive members connected between the source of electrical power and the light emitting diode.
18. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
19. The light-emitting necklace as recited in
wherein the means for activating activates the light emitting diodes in at least one sequential pattern of flashing brighter and dimmer.
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This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/437,048, filed Nov. 9, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,364, and incorporated herein by reference.
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The present invention relates to bead necklaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to bead necklaces having illuminated beads for ornamental decoration of persons especially at festivals.
Ornamental decorations are often used at public events, festivals, parties, parades, and the like, to enliven the activities and enjoyments of the attendees. Among these well-known events are Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve events, Christmas parades, and other such celebratory public and private events. The ornamental decorations include signage, flags, hats, stylized costumes, and special jewelry and apparel decorations including buttons and necklaces. The manufacture and sales of such special articles and decorations has become a significant business. Attendees often purchase these special articles and decorations from stores, shops, and street vendors.
One type of such ornamental decoration is beaded necklaces. These necklaces typically use brightly colored, faceted beads strung onto an elongate cord for wearing around the neck. For example, many persons appearing on floats and in the streets during Mardi Gras parades wear such beaded necklaces, and often, persons on floats throw additional necklaces to persons observing the parades. Persons attending such events often use as one measure of evaluating their enjoyments based on the number of different necklaces "won" or received during the parade. The beaded necklaces also typically include enlarged, stylized pendents that celebrate the particular sponsors of the floats or generally relate with text and/or graphics to the events. Other similar beaded necklaces for festival participants are available from stores and street vendors.
To promote the excitement and enjoyment of the attendees, the beads are highly stylized and often reflect ambient lights such as from the floats, street lights, and shops along the parade route. The beads often are unitary articles with faceted faces and are made of brightly colored or shiny plastics. The beads have opposing openings through which a cord extends, whereby the beads are strung together on the cord to form the necklace. To provide ornamental lighting effects, elongate plastic tubes containing light-generating chemicals have been used. The tubes form closed loops by engaging short connectors on the opposing ends so that the light-emitting loops may be worn around the neck or in the hair of attendees. Heretofore however, additional lighting has not been used directly in the beaded necklaces.
Accordingly there is a need in the art for providing improved bead necklaces having light sources for ornamental decoration of festival attendees. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention meets the need in the art by providing a light-emitting beaded necklace for ornamental decoration, comprising a plurality of ornamental beads that each define opposed slots. At least one light source is enclosed within a respective one of the beads. An elongate thread extends through the opposed slots of the beads in sequence. The thread has distal ends that connect together to define a looped article of wearing apparel. The necklace includes means for generating an electrical signal for illuminating the light source in one of the beads, in order to provide a lighted ornamental effect for the beaded necklace.
In another aspect, the present invention provides an elongate thread bundle, for joining together in a sequence of thread bundles to form a light emitting necklace with a first and a second one of the thread bundles attached at one respective end to a source of electrical power to complete an electrical circuit for powering the light sources. The thread bundle comprises an elongate tether member and at least one pair of electrically conductive members for connecting a light source to a source of electrical power. A jacket encloses the tether member and the conductive members, which have distal ends extending outwardly of opposing ends of the jacket for connecting a light-emitting bead attached to a first one of the opposing ends of the tether. The pair of signal communicating members connect to a light source.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a light emitting necklace that has at least two threaded bead assemblies joined together to define a necklace. Each bead assembly comprises an elongate thread bundle having a tether and at least two signal members for communicating electrical signals, and at least one of the signal members defining a common member. At least two beads are received on the bead assembly. The bead assembly has at least one light source adapted for attaching to the thread bundle at one end thereof by engaging a respective distal end of the tether and connecting the light source to the common member and to a selected one of the signal members, the remaining signal members and common member being connected to mating signal members and common member in an adjacent thread bundle. The necklace includes signal means for generating electrical signals for illuminating each of said light sources in a sequence.
Objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention and claims in view of the appended drawings.
Referring now in more detail to the drawings in which like parts have like identifiers,
A pendent 16 connects by a tri-bead 18 (discussed below with respect to
A battery compartment 28 selectively receives batteries (not illustrated) for providing electrical power to the circuit board 22 and for the light-emitting beads 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery compartment 28 is part of a back cover 30. A pair of wires 29 connect between the battery compartment 28 and the circuit board 22 for communicating electrical current to the circuit board. A plate 31 with a threaded fastener detachably closes the battery compartment 28. The back cover 30 connects with threaded fasteners 32 to posts 34 extending from an interior surface of the pendent 16. A button 36 extends through an opening defined in the back cover 30 and bears against a switch on the circuit board 22. It is appreciated that other switching mechanisms may be gainfully used in accordance with the present invention.
The common members 42a, 42b electrically join to a lead of the light source 70. The other lead of the light source 70 connects to the electrical signal member 44a. The electrical signal members 44b and 44c electrically connect with the electrical signal members 44d and 44e, respectively. Shields 81 enclose the respective connections between the electrical members 44b, 44d and 44c, 44e and 44a with the lead from light source 70. The shields 81 are preferably tubular plastic non-conducting sleeves. The electrical signal member 44f is clipped off at the distal ends of the thread bundle 40b. Accordingly, the electrical signal member 44f remains within the jacket 48, but is not electrically connected in the thread bundle 40b. Only the electrical members 44 needed for subsequent light sources 70 in the necklace 10 are connected to preceding members 44 in the light-emitting bead 14.
The shell 74 matingly connects to the shell 72 to enclose the light source 70 and the electrical connections of the members 42, 44 as discussed above. The opposing plates 76, 78 in the shell 72 bear against the aligned slotted plates 77, 79 in the shell 74 to secure the tethers 46a, 46b in the slots 80. The shells 72, 74 rigidly connect together, such as by ultrasonic welding, adhesive, or other suitable connecting agents. In an alternate embodiment, the shell 72 does not include the plates 76, 78, and the tethers 46 are secured in the slots 80 with adhesive or other suitable securing material.
The lighted beaded necklace 10 of the present invention is assembled from a plurality of the thread bundles 40, beads 12, 14, and pendent 16. With reference to
As can be seen in
With reference to
In the embodiment illustrated in
An alternative embodiment 110, shown in
It is thus seen that an apparatus and method of connecting illuminative beads to beaded necklaces is provided, which illuminative beads contain light sources activated selectively by a controller. While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, the principles and modes of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification. The invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed because these are regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Moreover, modifications, variations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as described by the following claims.
Day, David W., Jackson, Leslie F., Relf, Jeffrey T.
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